SECONDARY schools in Sefton have fallen below the national average of good or outstanding schools in a recent report of Ofsted inspections.

While the borough’s primary schools soared high ahead of the national average, the 11 assessed secondary schools missed it when results were viewed as a whole.

Although one school achieved outstanding and four achieved good, six were graded satisfactory.

Consequently, only 45 per cent of Sefton secondary schools qualified for the top two categories compared with 49 per cent of schools which qualified nationwide.

They also missed out on the average of outstanding secondary schools – Sefton’s nine per cent fell short of the nation’s 10 per cent.

In the report which went before councillors on Tuesday, the strategic director of children’s services Bryn Marsh attributes this to the number of secondary schools assessed.

He said: “Slightly more than two thirds of primary schools have been inspected while only just over half of secondary schools have been inspected. Owing to the smaller number of secondary schools, this exaggerates the percentage rates.”

The borough’s primary schools smashed national averages achieving 25 per cent as outstanding compared with the nation’s nine per cent.

They also exceeded the average of schools who achieved good or outstanding – their 80 per cent compared to the nation’s 58 per cent.

When compared with ten similar boroughs in England including Wirral and Lancashire, Sefton was the only one with no “inadequate” primary schools.

Out of the 55 primary schools inspected, 14 were outstanding, 30 were good and 11 were satisfactory. Since September, 2005, Ofsted has told three Sefton schools – two primary and one secondary – they needed to improve.

All three were re-inspected and currently no school – primary or secondary – is graded inadequate.

All nurseries inspected in Sefton were graded as good and out of the three special schools, one was outstanding and two were good.

Mr Marsh said: “Seventy six per cent of Sefton schools have been graded as good or outstanding. This compares to the national average of 60 per cent. In Sefton, all schools inspected since September, 2005, are currently graded as satisfactory or better.”